Beason: I think the morale's up. Guys are really excited going into camp. Summer's over. We're just ready to get working.

Q: How good can this defense be?

Beason: We lost a lot of good guys, but mentally we're stronger, tougher. And in certain positions we know more than last year. We're just more mature. If we're not better than last year it'd be a big disappointment. Because even though we were really good last year, it's safe to say we still made a lot of mistakes.

Q: The media picked you to win the ACC. Do you almost wish that's not the case in that it lets players think `We are as good as we think we are' and maybe get a bit overconfident at this early stage?

Beason: I don't mind it. If the media has that perception of us, we definitely have it of ourselves. That's our expectation. So for other people to say it is not a shock. It confirms it. Now we have to go out and make it happen. Talk is cheap.